keep it here on al jazeera. a damming u.n. report describes children burned alive and soldiers allowed to rape in south sudan. ♪ hello once again from me, david foster, you are watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up in this program, a powerful shiite cleric and his followers keep up the pressure on iraq's prime minister to tackle corruption. and aid agencies accuse

international powers of adding fuel to the fire in syria, by supporting rival sides. and in japan they mark the moment five years ago when an earthquake and tsunami killed 18,000 people. ♪ the united nations human rights chief has described the conflict in south sudan as, in his words one of the most horrendous human rights situations in the world. this damming report from the u.n. describes children and disabled people being burned alive, and fighters being allowed to rape women instead of getting paid. daniel lak joins me now from the united nations. we new it was a terrible situation with no end in sight in south sudan. i don't think any of us knew it was this bad. >> reporter: i don't think so, david, the report is 104 pages,

the detail in here, some of it quite sickening. the disabled targeted, rape used as a form of payment, a virtual epidemic of sexual-based violence by both sides in the conflict. although the report does say pro-government forces are probably doing it a little bit more. and comments for the spokesman for the human rights commissioner said this is probably just the tip of the iceberg. so how can that be possible? this is a country that only came into being five years ago, and this war broke out just two years after it became independent, and things seem to be getting worse and worse and worse. >> it seems to suggest that the majority of atrocities were committed by those supporting the government, but both sides were in it. is there any suggestion why

these sides used such tactics? >> reporter: one thing that is in the report goes back into history, into the colonial period in sudan, as well as when sudan was a unified country. during that time, divide and rule tactics were carried out across the south by the colonial authorities and by the government. in that means the complex tribal and ethnic background to this is exacerbating everything that is going on today. so while you can say it is a tribal conflict, it's a lot more complex than that as well. some of these historic alliances are to blame. some of the things that have happened in though various civil wars and also the personalities of the top leaders. there is a peace deal in effect here. last august the warring parties

signed a peace deal and promised a ceasefire, and both sides say they are committed to peace. while the evidence is the it is -- opposite, actually. and the people say the problem is at the top. it's not that they hate each other, it's that their leaders haven't figured out how they are all going to get along. >> these are the people who do the talking and investigation for the united nations, but we also see forces on the ground, the blue barrets. what is being done to ensure that this sort of thing doesn't happen. >> there is the united nations mission in place there, but it has its hands full just trying to protect civilians. last week there was an attack where dozens were killed.

so basically the u.n. is not able to protect civilians. it itself has come under attack. last year it had to evacuate its own personnel from juba. the security council has passed a resolution. it has imposed some sanctions, but many think both inside and outside of the u.n., they need to do a lot more. there are calling for an arms embargo, in fact a panel argued that an arms embargo needed to be placed on both sides of the conflict. and several have said that is not a good idea. angola, the current president of the security council, has issues with some of the sanctions that might be imposed here. don't forget angola went through its own civil war not all that long ago. so again, this is caught up in security council politics, in

some of the countries, bilateral issues, and also the fact that the problem is getting so large, it almost seems intractable. i think a report like this, as damming, and detailed, as deeply shocking as it is, has to motivate people around the security council table to take more action and take it as soon as they can. >> daniel, thank you very much indeed. our correspondent daniel lak at t united states. and in the fact 20 or 30 minutes, we're expecting to hear from senior united nations offici officials on that issue. and we'll bring you that too. iraq's prime minister is calling for experts rather than politicians to be nominated for his new cabinet, according to state tv. the influential cleric gave an

ultimatum giving him 45 days to form a new government. >> reporter: these demonstrations are a regular site on the streets of baghdad. followers of a powerful shiite cleric are demanding reform. he wants the prime minister to challenge a system of government that encourages corruption by distributing posts along political, ethnic, and sectarian lines. >> translator: we really hope these promises of reforms will be true. i urge iraqi prime minister abadi to press on with plans to form an independent cabinet of technocrats, to fight [ inaudible ] despite political pressure. i want the prime minister to continue his reform plan with no fear of political pressure. >> reporter: corruption is ating

into dwindling government finances in iraq that are suffering from the fall in price of oil and the cost of the war against isil. he gave the prime minister 45 days to pint the tech any cats or face a no-confidence vote in parliament. with only days to go, the syrian opposition has finally agreed to go to peace talks in geneva which start on monday. the opposition is down playing any chances of reaching an agreement to end the five years of war. the u.n. special envoy for syria says talks between the government and opposition groups will lay the foundation for elections next year. he says he is optimistic there will be elections within the next 18 months. members of the u.n. security council have been accused of making things worse in syria. said groups say other countries are undermining the commitment to end the conflict by

supporting opposite sides in the conflict. >> reporter: it is a grim milestone, almost five years since the start of syria's civil war, and a new report by aid agencies, including oxfam, save the children, and several syrian charities says the past year has been the worst yet. the report, titled fuelling the fire, notes that some 50,000 people have lost their lives in the past months. 200,000 homes were partly or completely destroyed in 2015, and an additional 400,000 children are no longer in school because of the violence. the report notes failures by the international community both through inadequate diplomatic

pressure and direct involvement. u.n. security council resolutions it says the report highlights how russia's air campaign has damaged civilian infrastructure, while reportedly causing thousands of civilian casualties. bombing by the u.s.-lead coalition is similarly noted to have caused deaths and damage to civilian areas. and the international powers are accused of supplying weapons to opposing forces on the ground. a partial cessation of hostilities has resulted in fewer civilian casualties, and greater humanitarian access to besieged areas, however, it says all parties, including governments that sit on the u.n. security council bare direct

responsibility for the war in syria. jonah hull, al jazeera. it is five years now since an earthquake and tsunami killed more than 18,000 people in japan. and a minute of silence was held on friday at the precise time of day that the quake hit. harry fawcett reports from one of the worst-hit areas. >> reporter: this is the closest thing to high ground here. a mound build to residents would look out to sea. five years on from the tsunami, it has become a place of remembrance. it was aerial footage that first showed the scale of disaster unfolding in japan. 950 died here. nearly 18.5 thousand across the country. all that is left of the houses are these few remaining foundation walls. the waves simply came through this neighborhood, scrubbing it out entirely. at its height it was about two

meters above that man-made mound. it was there at 2:45 precisely that they gathered to mark the moment the earthquake struck. 150 kilometers north, another community marked the same moment the same way. >> translator: the reality is that we still feel the scars here, and there are still many who are struggling to restart their lives. >> reporter: at the national memorial in tokyo, a similar sentiment came from japan's emperor, on behalf of those forced from their homes. >> translator: efforts are being made to improve the situation, but my heart aches at the thought that there are still

people who cannot return home. >> reporter: for all of the reconstruction elsewhere, and the prime minister is promising a reciteized five-year plan to get it finishes, large parts of fukushima have changed little. they battle to treat up to 400 tons of newly contaminated water each day. this man says the efforts are hampered by a shortage of people who are willing to do the job. >> translator: i think what i felt most was anxiety. when i got there, i thought my experience would be useful. but all of the rules that i used to abide by became completely irrelevant. it was like a war zone. >> reporter: there is a slow-moving sense of renewal, sections being razed for new construction, but scars still

remain. a day of commemoration can bring some comfort, but it also serves as a reminder of how much has been lost. we have this story coming up in a moment, the unlikely backer who has given his support to donald trump's presidential campaign. and uncontrollable inflation threatens argentina's infant government. stay with us, if you can. ♪ hey how's it going, hotcakes?

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these are the headlines this hour, a u.n. report accuses both sides in south sudan's civil war of deliberating targeting

civilians by killing them, raping them, and pillage. government supporters it is claimed were responsible for most of the atrocities last year. iraq shiite cleric has called on the prime minister not to yield to political pressure when forming his new cabinet. syria's opposition agree to attend peace talks brokered by the u.n. the arab league has now declared lebanon's hezbollah a terror group over its backing of syria's government. nearly all of the 22 members supported the decision with just lebanon and iraq expressing

concern. donald trump has received more backing with an endorsement from a former rival. ben carson who dropped out of the race a week ago has appeared together with trump in florida to show his support. they have had bitter confrontations during the early stages in particular of the nomination campaign. >> there are two different donald trumps. there's the one you see on the stage, and there is the one who is very sir rebral, considers things very carefully. you can have a very good conversation with him. and that's the donald trump that you are going to start seeing more and more of. >> now that endorsement is a further blow to trump's three remaining republican rivals and it comes just hours after the latest tv debate for that party, which alan fisher watched. >> reporter: this was the tamest debate so far.

donald trump was asked to address his comments claiming islam hates the u.s. and was asked if he went all 1.6 billion muslims? >> there is tremendous hate where large portions of a group of people, islam, large portions want to use very, very harsh meaned. on bringing peace to the middle east, john kasich doubted there could be a deal. this was not as badtempered as previous debates. >> so far i cannot believe how civil it has been up here. ted cruz criticized donald trump's idea of trade tariffs on foreign imports. >> how does it help you to have a president say i'm going to put a 45% tax on diapers, on automobiles, on clothing, that hurts you.

it's why we have got to get beyond rhetoric of china bad, and actually get to how do you solve the problem? >> reporter: this debate was in miami with its big cuban american population, and marco rubio, the florida senator who's family came from cuba, made that count with this answer on improving relations with the u.s. >> it will require cuba to change at least government. today it has not. the fact of the matter is after these changes were made, there are now hundreds of millions of dollars that will flow to the castro regime. >> reporter: this debate covered many issue important to american voters. they have been able to look at the personalities of the candidates. now they may have a better idea of their policies. fighting between yemeni houthis and the government are getting worse in the southern city of ta'izz. forces loyal to the president

are trying to take control over ta'izz. troops are reported to have taken control of the old airport which has been described as a big victory. in europe refugees are continuing to head to greece despite the possibility that they may be turned around. 13 refugees were rescued from a tiny dingy that they were using to cross the aegean sea from turkey. the rescued refugees are understood to have come from pakistan. greece says it believes it can and hopes to entity the crowded refugee camp on the boarder with macedonia within two weeks. there are 14,000 refugees being held at the camp as their onward journey through macedonia is still blocked. fights over food handouts occur

regularly. many of the people are reportly ill. one syrian man has been using his skills to help pay for his onward journey. he has been cutting hair to earn money, along with his pregnant wife and 3-year-old daughter. he left syria 25 days ago. >> translator: i have my wife. she is pregnant. i have my child. they need to eat. they need to drink, and you can see with your eyes, the conditions here are very difficult. i am forced to work. i don't have enough money to continue, and so as not to beg from people. i'm working, and my job is a barber. i'm not doing it out of grooed. i do it because it's my job. a danish children's rights campaigner and her have beening

found guilty of people trafficking. she gave the family a lift in her car. the husband was prosecuted for taking them to the train station and buying them tickets. argentina's new government has unveiled more economic measures, saying it is going to subsidize oil exporters as long as the world's oil price remains as low as it is. but he so far failed in his promise to curb argentina's rampant inflation. >> reporter: a protest to demand that the new government look their way. they are workers, worried about rising prices in a country that has one of the highest inflation rates in the world.

>> translator: we have seen some productings rise over 300%. services like electricity over 700%. we are very worried on how people are going to continue like this. >> reporter: this woman says she is concerned about inflation. she claims in spite of the rising prices, her salary has not gone up. >> translator: we get items like sugar for free, but everything is going up. the problem is that we are not sure where it is going to end. >> reporter: the government has announced an end to subsidies to electricity, and even though it has said it won't effect the poorer sectors, many here have doubts. >> translator: we the poor have to stop eating, we stop. we are used to hardships, but the price of electricity, gas and transportation goes up, then

we will be in trouble. >> reporter: the price of beef, for example, that is basic in argentinian diet has increased in the past month, and that's why people have stopped buying certain cuts because they couldn't afford them anymore. for the last decade, inflation has been a seriouser issue. with some estimates putting it close to 30% a year. the president came to power last december with a promise of bringing the any under control, but it may be months before that happens. >> translator: the government has the will to fight inflation, but it is not succeeding. it is 15% this year, and if it goes this way, it will be 50% in a year. but they need investments, and so far we are not seeing it. >> reporter: the government has announced it will implement

certain measures to assist the poorer sectors. but for many those measures are not coming fast enough. the north korean leader kim ki-jong has ordered his officials to conduct more nuclear tests after firing two short-range missiles into the sea on wednesday. and north korean cyber attacks have doubled in the last month. the south says the north tried to hack into the computer networks of financial institutions in south korea, and has accused the north of trying to hack into the phones of 300 government and military officials. inindy -- india organizers of a event have been fined for

damaging food plains. the organizer says he has done nothing wrong and is prepared to go to jail rather than pay the fine. interest in african art is growing both in the united states and in europe. and auctioneers in london say there has been a 200% rise in the value of african art in the last four years, yet, not every artist is making big money. our correspondent reports from johannesberg. >> reporter: this international art auctioneer has sold more than $60 million worth of african art in the last ten years. one of the best known paintings, the black arab sold for close to $1.5 million. and this was sold for $400,000. >> the contemporary art market

is a tiny bit fickle in the sense that the decline of the chinese market means they have moved on to find the next new and big area. >> reporter: the value of african art continues to rise as more pieces from south africa, and elsewhere are seen on the international market. only 5% of artists produce art that is marketable. it provides an opportunity for the largest african markets. andrew has been taking documentary photos for 20 years, some of them are exhibited here. he says he is inspired by the late south african artist who was able to support himself entirely through his artwork. andrew says he still struggles to get his own photography which documents communities and their environments recognized as art, making it difficult for him to survive on his art alone.

>> i think more can be done. in south africa, we're fortunate that we have institutions like this one. and i think in other african countries, [ inaudible ] continent, but most of the african countries there is more that needs to be done to improve. >> reporter: friends of the johannesberg art gelry say it's up to artists to develop themselves. >> it's people that expect to be given a hand up. people that expect -- where things come to easily, i think that's where we have a problem, because there are many artists in the world that never get to the top. >> reporter: while new buyers and growing interest means africa's art market is likely to continue expanding, for artists like andrew it remains an

exclusive club. we are keeping our cameras ready at the united nations for that press conference we're going to get on the appalling levels of violence on the south sudan civil war. we'll come to that as soon as it begins. aljazeera.com. aljazeera.com for all of the world news. ♪ from critic to comrade, ben carson endorses donald trump. downpours inundates louisiana and texas. and dishonorable discharge, two top executives lose their jobs amid a spending scandal at the wounded warrior project. ♪